1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for processing cable-shaped conductors, e.g., a device for stripping and/or pulling off sheathing materials from multicore cable-shaped conductors. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of stripping and/or pulling off sheathing materials from multicore, cable-shaped conductors, the pulling off of the sheathing material able to be performed in such a way that the insulating material removed remains on the cable to protect the remaining conductor end.
2. Descrition of the Related Art
The procedure for cutting off cable-shaped conductor pieces and for stripping one or both cable ends and devices configured for this procedure are already known. In this case, for a multicore cable, in which each cable core is sheathed (insulated) individually and in addition a shared sheathing forms the outer envelope of the cable, typically first this outer sheathing is removed on a predetermined part with the aid of a first stripping blade and then the sheathing of the individual conductors (cores) of the multicore cable is cut with the aid of a multipart blade and either removed or only partially pulled off, in order to provide the cable or strand ends with a protection against untwisting, for example. The cable end is then pushed forward by the amount which corresponds to the desired length of the cable part to be produced, the cable is cut off at this point—with the first stripping blade, for example—and the procedure described is repeated on the rear end of the cable. However, the conductor ends are then further processed in that, for example, a crimp part or another element (e.g., a sensor etc.) is attached to them or that they are twisted, as is known, for example, from WO-A-99/52188. During the stripping, the problem arises—which is already known and also already solved in principle—that to strip the sheathing, specifically both the outer sheathing and the individual conductor sheathing, the rear cable ends to be processed must be pushed back by the length which corresponds to the stripping length(s). These ends which are pushed back then collide with the just-cut ends of the cable supplied. For this problem, the solution is known in which the cable ends supplied are kept guided between the last transport element for the processing point and the processing point in a guide sleeve or another guide element and this guide sleeve is pivoted out of the cable alignment during the processing of the rear cable end. Such a typical transport element is also known from European Patent Application 0 864 524 and described best there. Another solution is, for example, known from European Patent Application 0 234 929. Alternatively, it has also already been suggested—in order to be able to keep the distances small between the last transport element before the processing point and the processing point—to move a guide sleeve linearly out of the cable run direction (WO-A-97/17751), through which the distances may be kept smaller, but for which a return movement of the cut front end of the cable in the full extent of the length of the guide element must be accepted, which may significantly impair the precision of the method.
A typical arrangement for performing the procedure described is described in WO-A-99/52188, in which the guide sleeves are pivoted upward. The blades, namely the stripping blade for the outer cable sheathing and the multipart blade for the individual conductors, are located in one line in this case, namely the cable guide direction, the central single blade of the multipart blade being positioned in this direction, but the further blades of the multipart blade lying to the left and right of it. Since, to the applicants, this document represents the most technically advanced related art, it is incorporated in the content of the disclosure of this patent application through reference.
In the framework of the present invention, this device will be refined, the following desired improvements to be fulfilled. On one hand, the arrangement of the processing elements (e.g., the blades) on one line in the direction of the cable guide does lead to the processing being able to be performed solely through movement of the cable sections on this line, if the pivoting out of the cut cable end is disregarded. However, on the other hand, the processing is restricted by the present arrangement. For each additional processing step, such as the attachment of a crimp part or another element (e.g., a sensor etc.), the additional processing elements for twisting of the cable end must be incorporated into the processing path at a certain cost. Modular construction with the possible replacement of additional processing elements is therefore only possible with difficulty. On the other hand, it is especially advantageous—even in the device according to WO-A-99/52188—if the drive devices for the cable transport are positioned on one side of the device, namely in the rear in relation to a vertical plane through the cable guide direction, while the device is kept easily accessible at the front. This requirement may be implemented, for example, through a vertical termination plate.
A device is known from European Patent Application 1 174 970, in which the guide sleeves and the transport device are mounted on a plate and this plate is implemented so it may be pivoted out of its plane together with the guide sleeves. At the same time, it is suggested in European Patent Application 1 174 970 that a front and a rear plate be made rotatable in relation to the plate plane. In this way, the problem of being able to rotate or pivot the cut cable ends out is solved, but this is done at the cost of easy accessibility.